A Lifetime Together
by siansullivan
Summary: Swan Queen.Emma and Regina meet before the curse is cast but don't remember any of it in Storybrooke, not yet anyway... set in the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke.


I have an amazing SQ fan made video called 'Strange Bird' to thank for my inspiration of this story. This is my first fan fiction so its probably a load of crap but I really wanted to make this story happen

Chapter 1

It was the night of the royal ball to celebrate Princess Snow White's birthday, to which Emma had found herself invited. "_Another one of these stupid balls to celebrate a spoilt little rich girl, why did I let you talk me into going again?_" Emma asked with a whiney tone,

"_You were specially invited Swan, it would be rude to not attend plus you get to spend the night with a dashingly handsome companion_"

Killian Jones, also known as Captain Hook, was one of very few of Emma's friends in this kingdom and in Emma's mind was a good partner to help her through what seemed was going to be a very long and boring night.

When they arrived at the castle they were escorted to a grand ballroom filled with people Emma had never seen before in her life. The festivities were already in full swing, music played in the background as people danced and conversed. Hook leaned into Emma's ear

"_Should I go get us drinks?" _

"_That would be great, might help this night end sooner_"

"_Okay, but while I'm gone be on your best behaviour swan, I hate to come back and find you in a sword fight with the kings royal guards_" Killian spoke with a serious tone to which Emma found amusing

"_I promise I won't get into trouble until you come back, I mean I may be amazing but I don't think I can take on sixty guards by myself tonight_" Emma said with a laugh in her voice, to this response Killian rolled his eyes and walked off to get them both a drink.

Emma had been standing alone for at least 5 minutes, when she realised a man crawling through the crowd with his eyes fixed on her, he was a ferrety looking man with ginger receding hair and he was slowly approaching closer and closer to her.

"NO NO NO, where the fuck is Killian with my drink" she mumbled to herself while she tried to avoid eye contact with the ferrety man, looking anywhere but in his direction.

A loud noise erupted from all sides of the room, halting everyone's movements to face a huge pair of double doors, "saved by the bell… well trumpets" Emma thought to herself. At that Killian returned to her side handing her a drink.

"_I guess it's time we get to see this spoilt little rich girl_" Killian said with a smirk quoting Emma's earlier comment.

The huge double doors opened to show an old man with a beard dressed in black with gold embroidery and on his arm a pretty young girl with raven black hair wearing a snow white dress.

"_His Highness King Leopold and the Princess Snow White_" a voice announced as they entered and sat in a pair of matching chairs at the top of the hall. But it wasn't the king or the princess that caught Emma's eye, but the young woman who entered the ballroom quietly after and trailed behind to be seated in a lonely chair opposite the king and the princess. She wore a sliver ball gown with a golden crown placed in her dark brown almost black hair.

Emma couldn't take her eyes off the young woman, she was the most amazingly beautiful woman Emma had ever seen but even more than that she puzzled Emma, '_who could she be_?' Emma thought to herself. The way she held herself she must be royalty but Emma couldn't remember hearing that Leopold had more than his one beloved daughter Snow White, however this young woman was clearly a couple of years older than the princess and around the same age as Emma herself.

"_I had heard the queen was beautiful_" Killian's voice sprung Emma out of her thoughts

"_The …The queen, that's the queen?_!" Emma asked her eyes wide in surprise

"_Mhmm... certainly is, now if you're done staring would you like to dance?_"

Emma didn't answer but continued to stare at the queen even when Killian grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the middle of the room to dance.

"_I'd think you'd If I didn't know better never seen a queen before_" Killian laughed but Emma didn't respond, she was too lost in thought to even hear what he was saying.

'_The queen'_, Emma kept on repeating in her head but learning this knowledge only made the young woman puzzle Emma even more. Why would a young beautiful woman like that marry the king and even more so, why is someone who probably has everything she ever wanted sitting alone, only smiling when it seemed appropriate. Emma noticed the pain and hurt in the young woman's eyes.

Their dancing had come to a halt but Emma hadn't noticed, she took note that she could hear the king spewing some crap about how wonderful his daughter was, when he mentioned the word 'wife' that caught Emma's attention, she looked in the kings direction as he spoke but varied her look between the king and the queen.

"I have one woman to thank for my amazing beautiful daughter and that is the queen … my late wife queen Eva" the kings voice boomed across the room.

That's when Emma noticed it, the young queen was gone, she had fled from her seat and was currently headed out of the ballroom. Emma headed towards the direction in which the queen had fled when she felt a hand grab her arm

"Where are you going?" Killian asked with a raised eyebrow

"I just need some air I'll be back soon" before Killian could say anything Emma was gone lost in a sea of people.

Following the queens path as best she could she found herself in what seemed like the castle gardens. Emma kept her eyes peeled aiming to spot a flash of the queens silver dress. She emerged in an open circular space in which the centre exhibited a large apple tree and underneath it the person Emma had been searching for.

However Emma found that she could not move any further nor speak she just stood there and stared at the queen.

Feeling a presence the young queen turned around and jumped a little at the sight of a beautiful blonde woman in a red dress watching her.

"_Hello_" the queen greeted with her royal smile "_are you lost_?"

When the young queen turned to face Emma, her heart stopped, in the pale moonlight of the night the young queen looked even more beautiful, Emma noticed her skin had a caramel tint to it and her eyes were a wonderful shade of hazel that was just a touch lighter than the colour of her hair. When she spoke her voice was like music to Emma's ears and her smile was a bright beacon that restarted Emma's heart and gave her butterflies in her stomach.

"_I-I …"_ Emma stuttered, she was simply blown away by the queen in that moment "_I'm- I'm not lost, I followed you out here I wanted to make sure you were okay?_" it all came out at once _'subtle'_ Emma cursed herself.

"_Oh_" the queen said surprised "_I didn't realise anyone noticed I had left, my absence isn't usually noticed_" her smile faded

"_I'm sorry your majesty, I just noticed you didn't look very happy inside and I couldn't let you walk away without knowing if you were alright_" Emma said with a smile

The queen was taken aback by the words from this stunning blonde and her genuine smile that followed.

"_My name is Regina and I'm fine but it's nice to know someone cares thank you_"

"_Regina? That is a beautiful name, I'm Emma … Emma Swan_" she introduced herself as she stepped forward towards Regina extending her arm.

The queen took Emma's hand and was surprised when the blonde woman placed a kiss to the back of it, when Emma came up from the kiss their eyes met and they smiled at each other, neither one of them realised the effect they had on one another or that their hands were still joined.

"_So Miss Swan_" Regina said breaking away from the other woman's intense eyes "_how about I show you the gardens? Unless you'd rather get back to the-_

"_I'd love to see the gardens_" Emma interrupted before Regina could continue.

They walked around the gardens for what seemed like hours and talked about everything and nothing, from their upbringings to their hobbies. Regina told Emma about her apple tree and how she had brought it with her from home as they sat underneath their arms just touching.

"_I feel like I have something in common with this tree_" Regina said with a small laugh

"_What do you mean_?" Emma asked her brows furrowed in confusion as she turned to look at Regina

"_this tree lives in the castle but does not belong here, just as I live here but it's not where I belong_" as she spoke she looked at the ground unable to face Emma, she took a deep breath before continuing "_I'm the queen but I'm practically a prisoner_" the last sentence from the queens lips was executed with both sadness and anger. Regina looked up to face Emma, she studied the blonde woman's face but could not find anything until Emma moved her hand and placed it on top of Regina's which were positioned in her lap.

"_You'll never be alone again and as long as I'm breathing you'll never feel like a prisoner or like you don't belong I promise you Regina_" Emma hated that a woman as beautiful inside and out as Regina felt unwanted and alone and she knew that she would do anything to make the queen smile because it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Regina looked deep into Emma's eyes to spot any sign of a lie or disbelief in her promise, like she had found in the eyes of many before who had made her promises but when the time came didn't uphold them, but she could see nothing but complete honesty and beauty in the eyes of her blonde saviour.

They were interrupted by the appearance of a royal guard, a tall broad man "_my queen, the ball is coming to an end it is time for you to return to your bed chambers your hand maidens are waiting inside to escort you_" he spoke with a deep but friendly voice.

"_Oh I didn't realise it was so late thank you Marcus_" there was that tone of friendly eloquence that Regina had first used when she had spoken to Emma

The guard turned to address Emma "_as for you m'lady I'll have a guard escort you back inside_"

"_No, no that won't be necessary I can find my own way back thank you_" Emma replied with a smile, she turned to face Regina giving her the biggest smile she could before taking Regina's hand once more and kissing it again " _good night my queen I hope to see you again very soon_"

Regina blushed before remembering there was a guard present watching them "_I hope to see you soon too Miss Swan, goodnight" _

Regina was escorted away by Marcus leaving Emma in the middle of the royal gardens watching her queen walk away.

Emma found her way back inside the castle and eventually found Killian who was leant up against a wall.

"_Finally Swan! Where the bloody hell have you been?_" he asked a little too loudly that it gained the attention of people passing by them, Emma curled her fist and pushed Killian back against the wall by his chest

"_SHH … I was out in the gardens with the queen and lost track of time that's all"_

"_I guess that's a reasonable excuse, now come on let's get out of here_" he said as he walked away leaving Emma to catch up to him, after a few minutes of walking in silence, Killian felt Emma push him into a crevice in the wall

"_What the bloody hell Swan you have to stop doing that!_"

"_Cover me_" Emma said as she grabbed hooks satchel and turned him so his back was to her.

Hook rolled his eyes and turned to keep watch "_I wouldn't mind an explanation of what exactly is going on and why I have to cover you"_

"_I put some spare clothes in your satchel earlier just in case_" Emma said out of breath due to the task of changing of clothes as quick as possible to avoid being caught

"_And may I ask why you have to change right now rather than wait till you return home or even leave the castle_" Killian asked

"_Because I'm not leaving the castle, not tonight anyway_" Emma said as she turned Killian around showing him her new outfit of brown trousers and a white tunic shirt, her hair released from her up-do, fell in blonde curls over her shoulders.

"_What do you mean you're not leaving the castle, Swan if this has anything to do with the queen you need to forget about it, if the king or a guard finds you sneaking around the castle with the queen you'll be killed, let's go back to town, go to the tavern and get drunk, you'll forget all about the queen_" Killian said with pleading in his eyes

Emma shook her head "_No I can't I have to see her_"

"_If your found you'll be arrested, maybe killed_" he raised his voice to try and get Emma to understand just how stupid her plan was

"_I can't help that she got in my head_!" Emma replied her voice also raised as she pushed past Killian "_And I want to make sure she's okay_!" before Killian can say anything Emma had ran off through the castle corridors to find her queen.


End file.
